A Federal High Court in Lagos, Nigeria ordered the detention Wednesday of Patrick Akpoguma, 28, who faces seven criminal counts including conspiracy, identity theft, and fraud totaling $95,000 in an alleged international cybercrime scheme.
Akpoguma, recently paraded by Lagos’ Zone 2 Police Command for allegedly attempting to bribe officers with $100,000 (N174 million), pleaded not guilty before Justice Musa Kakaki to charges including obtaining money by false pretense and converting criminal proceeds.
Prosecutor Zebedee Arekhandia told the court Akpoguma and accomplices still at large operated between 2020 and November 2024, creating fake social media accounts under aliases “Connel Matt Herbert” and “Adam Taggart” to pose as an American citizen. The scheme allegedly targeted victims in Nigeria, the United States, and other countries with fraudulent cryptocurrency investment proposals.
The prosecution detailed how Akpoguma allegedly obtained $58,000 from three victims—Oleg, Connor, and Carlos—by falsely claiming he needed loans for a “business project in Florida USA.” He allegedly secured another $37,500 from Mark Alien, Eric Allan, Avere, Lume, and Portal Smith through fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.
The charges cite violations of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 and the Cybercrime Act of 2015. Defense counsel Olatunde Kolawole filed a bail application, which prosecutors acknowledged receiving and requested time to counter.
Justice Kakaki ordered Akpoguma held in a correctional facility pending a February 4, 2025, bail hearing.
